<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>At the end of the world, I'll be here by AcidIchor</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26062036">At the end of the world, I'll be here</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcidIchor/pseuds/AcidIchor'>AcidIchor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst and Feels, Apocalypse, Death, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I just had to get this out of my brain, No Romance, Short One Shot, no beta we die like men, what even is this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:29:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>816</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26062036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcidIchor/pseuds/AcidIchor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>My skin felt like it was searing. The heat sunk deep into my body, burning through muscle and sinew. The scorched ground dug into my knees, grinding into the burnt skin. The pain was ineffable, all consuming and mind numbing. It hurt so bad that it felt as though I wasn’t in pain at all, like staying in the cold so long that it feels hot. But there was no cold here, and there never would be again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>At the end of the world, I'll be here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>My skin felt like it was searing. The heat sunk deep into my body, burning through muscle and sinew. The scorched ground dug into my knees, grinding into the burnt skin. The pain was ineffable, all consuming and mind numbing. It hurt so bad that it felt as though I wasn’t in pain at all, like staying in the cold so long that it feels hot. But there was no cold here, and there never would be again. </p><p>I struggled to open my eyes, fighting to stay conscious. After several moments, I managed to wrestle my eyes open. And I immediately wished I hadn’t. The whole world was on fire. Everything was burning. There were no trees left, all vegetation had been incinerated long ago. The stone walls of the buildings were melting into puddles of lava that flowed in slow, lazy streams. </p><p>As I raked my gaze across the destroyed landscape, my eyes never stayed in one place for long, flitting from the hazy sky, to the ruined horizon. Until they settled on something much closer. There was an entity, standing beside me. They were humanoid in shape, tall and muscular. They may have even been considered attractive if it weren’t for the eyes that seemed to be buried in their skin. They were almost demonic in appearance.</p><p>Confusion wove into my sluggish thoughts. Who were they? Why are they here? And why do they seem so unaffected by the heat, the landscape? </p><p>Before I could ponder these questions any more, the demon’s eyes shifted to me, as though they could hear my thoughts. They turned slowly, the charred earth beneath their feet shifting and cracking ominously. When they took a step toward me, the ground split further, revealing magma hidden underneath. </p><p>Their robes flowed around their body like they were being blown by a breeze, but the air was stagnant and heavy, weighing on my lungs. For every step that they took, the earth trembled, the sky shook, and it became harder to breathe. <i>“It is a shame.”</i> They said, <i>“You really never did anything to deserve this,”</i> Their tone was sad, like they had just lost a friend.</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i></i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i></i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i></i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i></i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>I tilted my head, the confusion coming back full force. What were they talking about? My thoughts were cut off once more. <i>“Ah, you don’t remember.”</i> Their shoulders slumped. <i>“Don’t worry, I will help you remember.”</i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>They strode around to my front, seemingly uncaring of the precarious way that the ground sort of gave away beneath their feet. As they came to rest in front of me, the heat followed them, shifting underneath my skin from my side to my front. The fire slid through my veins like it was meant to be there, boiling my blood and branding my entrails. </p><p>They kneeled down, reaching out their hands to rest them on my face. And then I saw. I saw a world in turmoil, plagued by war and bloodshed. Sickness swept every land, ending the lives of hundreds of thousands. The grass was stained red and the sky wept. Humans slaughtered each other in droves, swords shifting to bayonets, shifting to missiles. Blood sprayed from their bodies, flowing in rivulets along the battered earth. I saw animals caged and butchered, their cries ignored in favor of their meat. I saw corruption and exploitation, from politics to slavery. I saw famine, drought, hatred, prejudice, murder, and rape.   </p><p>I gasped as they pulled away from me. I could feel blood dripping from my eyes, though I didn’t know how I knew that it was blood. <i>“Do you see now, why this had to happen?”<i> They asked me.</i></i></p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>Without thinking, I nodded. </p><p>
  <i>“That’s good.”<i> They said.
</i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>Why were humans so horrible? The thought swirled around my mind, circling and hovering at the frazzled edges. <i>“It’s not your fault.” </i></p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>Now I definitely knew that they could read my mind. </p><p>They continued to speak, shifting to sit down next to me. <i>“You humans are children of malice. The spawn of hatred, agents of chaos.”<i> Their eyes closed for a brief moment, <i>“It is in your blood to destroy.” </i></i></i></p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>Then their eyes turned to me, irises glowing molten gold, like ichor, the blood of the gods. Maybe that is what they are, a deity of some kind. Their gaze turned sad again. <i>“Oh child, you are so young. Your species didn’t last long, but you burned hot and bright throughout your lifetime, just like they did before you.” </i></p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>They sighed, saying <i>“You truly are their children. I was unable to save them, either,”<i> then, they reached over and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into their side. I was no longer burning. The heat settled in my veins at their touch. I sighed contentedly.   </i></i></p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>They began to hum a sweet melody, one that seemed familiar. Though my throat ached, I hummed along. </p><p>And together, we watched the world end.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>